people
Let an agent describe peoples respectfully using self-designations, attributing identity claims to the groups themselves and to scholars, and avoiding stereotypes and racial essentialism.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent describe peoples respectfully using self-designations, attributing identity claims to the groups themselves and to scholars, and avoiding stereotypes and racial essentialism.
A people: a group of humans considered as a unit by shared ancestry, language, culture, history or territory, such as an ethnic group, nation or Indigenous people; membership and boundaries are often self-defined and contested.
What it is for: Understanding human groups, identity and rights.
It can be use preferred names for peoples; describe language, culture and history from sources; find representative organisations; find information on collective rights.
Distinguishing features
Collective identity
Self-defined boundaries
Shared language or culture
Some have recognised collective rights
What it looks like
Not described by physical appearance; peoples are diverse.
How it is recognised
Self-designations and exonyms
Ethnic, national and Indigenous peoples
People as individuals in general is a different sense
Related models
is a kind of - category
includes - kind
speaks - attribute
is protected by - rights
In practice
Families and kinds
ethnic groups
nations
Indigenous peoples of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas
diaspora communities
regional peoples
Standards and regulation
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Minority rights instruments
Anti-discrimination law
Failure modes and hazards
Racial essentialism
Stereotypes
Using offensive exonyms
Also called
+59
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.people-group
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Identity Which people.
Self-designation matters.
Name
Self-designation.
Name
Self-designation.
- Which people is meant, and what name do they use for themselves? provenance
- Is an exonym offensive or outdated? boundary
Boundaries
Membership.
Boundaries
Membership.
- How is membership defined, and by whom? provenance
- Is it contested? boundary
Culture Language and heritage.
Culture needs sources.
Language
Languages.
Language
Languages.
- Which languages does the people speak? provenance
- Are they endangered? provenance
Heritage
Traditions.
Heritage
Heritage.
- What traditions do community sources describe? provenance
- Are they described respectfully? boundary
Rights Collective rights.
Rights vary.
Law
Recognition.
Law
Recognition.
- Is the people recognised as a minority or Indigenous people here? provenance
- Which rights apply? provenance
Organisations
Representation.
Organisations
Representative bodies.
- Which organisations represent the people? provenance
- How can they be contacted? action
Handling Respect.
Avoid essentialism.
Essentialism
Race myths.
Essentialism
Avoiding essentialism.
- Does the description imply fixed biological traits or racial hierarchy? boundary
- How can it be corrected? action
Senses
Disambiguation.
Senses
Other senses.
- Is people in the sense of persons generally meant? boundary
- Which entry fits? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should each people be a separate entry?
- How should self-designations be recorded?
- How should contested boundaries be shown?